FG welcomes Tedros Ghebreyesus, first African DG, WHO

Isaac Adewole the minister for health Nigeria has welcomed the appointment of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia as new the director –general of World Health Organisation (WHO)

“Congratulations to my brother Tedros, newly elected WHO director general, feels great to be part of history made in World Health Assembly,” says Adewole.

The announcement was made during an appointment ceremony that took place after WHO Member States cast their final votes at a closed session during the 70th World Health Assembly. On May 23, the member States of  WHO elected Tedros Adhanom  Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General of WHO. He was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017 to replace Margaret Chan, who will step down from her 10-year post at the end of June.

Ghebreyesus will be the first African to head up the UN agency, after winning the most votes from 186 member states.

Tedros was the top vote-getter in a three way faceoff, defected Sania Nishtar, 54, of Pakistan,  David Nabarro, 67, of Britain in the final ballot, earning 133 votes to Nabarro’s 50. There were two abstentions.

Addressing the World Health Assembly, Tedros promised to stand up for the right of the poor.

“I will also strengthen WHO’s capacity to monitor results, resources and right, in line with the goals of the Global Strategy of Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ health, and hold governments accountable for their commitments”, said Tedros.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012–2016 and as Minister of Health, Ethiopia from 2005–2012.

He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board; and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

As Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus led a comprehensive reform effort of the country’s health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure, creating 3500 health centres and 16 000 health posts; expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers; and initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage.

  As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he led the effort to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.